1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage apparatus for storing products, and more particularly, to a storage apparatus in which independent storage-access operation, lowering cost and raising storage-access accuracy can be achieved.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, ultra-low temperature storage apparatuses are normally run under an ultra-low temperature environment (such as liquid nitrogen at −196° C.), mostly for storing tissue, cellular products, or body fluids, such as cord blood, bone marrow, placenta, embryo, sperm, and ovum. However, since the use of specimens for cord blood, bone marrow, placenta, embryo, sperm, or ovum is not considerably immediate, an ultra-low temperature storage apparatus for storing the specimens over a long period of time becomes necessary. Biotechnology has been developed rapidly in recent decades. Cord blood in particular, containing abundant stem cells, has been widely adopted in medical therapy. The issue of cord blood storage has been of particular interest to those skilled in this art.
Presently, there are several kinds of storage tanks for being used by cord blood banks, for example, 1) conventional liquid nitrogen storage tanks (MVE, Tayler-Wharton); and 2) automatic mechanical storage tanks (TG BioArchieve System).
Conventional liquid nitrogen storage tank refers to an open-lid type. Each storage tank contains multiple storage racks, and each rack contains stacks of cartridges. Nevertheless, when an operator wishes to access one of the specimens, other specimens frozen in the same rack will be taken out together. The rapid change in temperature would possibly affect the viability of cells. Moreover, since the liquid nitrogen storage tanks are of open-lid type, upon proceeding with storage and access actions, such a design of open-lid type will make moisture appear above the surface of liquid nitrogen. As a result, the labeling of specimens is concealed by condensation above the surface of liquid nitrogen, and accuracy and speed of the storage and access are greatly affected.
The mechanical storage tank relates to an automatic storage tank using hooks of robotic arms to hang the specimens on wall of the storage tank. Because the mechanical storage tank can perform the storage and access actions independently, the specimens at other storage positions are not affected. In view of the fact that the automatic mechanical storage tank employs the hooking measure to store the specimens, the specimens may fall to bottom of the storage tank when the storage tank rocks and the specimens accordingly swing loose. Based on this condition, when the specimens are stored with this measure, the storage tank, in principle, must not be moved or rocked in a great extent. Moreover, when the robotic arms are manipulated, moving upward or downward of the robotic arms will make moisture in the air permeate into joints of the robotic arms which are then frosted. The thus-impeded robotic arms, when manipulated, will produce relatively high frictional resistance, or even fail. Besides, the automatic mechanical storage tank relies on a computer for operation control, where electrical power is consumed, and after long-term use, precision electronic components may be damaged. In particular, the automatic mechanical storage tank is quite complex in design, and as such, high costs incurred in purchase and maintenance are the disadvantage.